Find out why getting your hearing tested involves much more than the ears.

When you were in school, chances are you had a brief hearing test, which likely involved being asked to identify if you could discern tones being played in your ears.

For adults, getting a hearing test is a much more involved process, said K.K. Gross, who runs the clinical operations for Shea Hearing Aid Center in Memphis and Nashville. However, they are painless and easily administered.

"There is a standard battery of audiometric tests that yield basic data. This data can be used determine additional diagnostic and verification tools to assess hearing and communication ability," she explained.

But prior to the actual hearing testing, Gross said Shea Hearing Aid Centers do a full medical history workup and communication assessment — as well a visual inspection of the ear canal and the tympanic membrane, or the eardrum.

"We need a clear view of the eardrum to check for any visible abnormalities such as a perforation in the eardrum, any visible scaring, irritation or infection," Gross said. “If there’s excessive ear wax, it should be removed to reliable test results.”

The main kinds of hearing tests measure a variety of things.

Pure Tone Air Conduction. This test determines the faintest tone that can be heard in different frequencies ranging from low to high pitches. This test involves playing frequency tones in the external ear canal, either through inserts or headphones, in order to ascertain "how people are hearing through the general auditory system for external sounds," Gross said.

Pure Tone Bone Conduction. This evaluation entails placing an oscillator on the mastoid bone behind the ear and generating a vibration. “This bypasses the external and middle ear to test the inner ear directly to determine how it is functioning or perceiving the vibration in different frequency ranges," says Gross. She goes on to explain, “the pure tone tests are charted on a graph to determine type, degree and configuration of hearing ability. If hearing loss is present, comparing the results of the air and bone conduction scores indicates whether hearing loss is primarily sensorineural (permanent hearing loss resulting from damage to the cochlea, hair cells or auditory nerve), conductive (structural problem with the eardrum or middle ear), or a combination of the two.”

Speech Reception Threshold and Discrimination. This test involves repeating words presented at a declining volume to ascertain the softest speech that can be heard half the time.

Speech Discrimination. This test assesses word recognition or the ability to correctly repeat back words at a comfortable loudness level.

Tympanogram. This measures "the flexibility of the eardrum to air pressure and how effectively it transmits sound to the middle ear," Gross said. This test assesses the function of the Eustachian tube, upper auditory pathway and the reflex of the middle ear muscles.

Speech In Noise Test. A test that “quickly and easily measures the ability to hear in noise," Gross said, this determines how the brain is processing speech in noise. “This information is useful for determining technology recommendations, treatment protocols and realistic expectations for communication,” she added.

"Some people, even with hearing thresholds within normal range, may experience difficulty processing speech in noisy environments," she noted.

Setting up a hearing test appointment.

Gross said that experts now recommend that anyone over the age of 50 have a baseline hearing test. People who have had "significant noise exposure" in the past, or have any ringing in their ears, should also be tested, she added.

And if people start exhibiting any signs of hearing loss — for example, asking others to repeat what they're saying or talk louder, or if they're having trouble understanding conversation in noisy places — it’s time to get their hearing checked.

Picking up the phone and making an appointment can be stressful and intimidating. But delaying the diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss can lead to other health conditions and irreparable harm to overall health. Fortunately, patients don’t have to embark on this journey alone.

"When we schedule hearing evaluations, we invite our patients bring their closest communication partner to be a part of the process,” Gross said.

"We need to know what is happening in their home and in their own world from a communication standpoint. It's not just about hearing; it's about understanding and being able to effectively and easily communicate."

In fact, another test takes the form of a verification and validation exercise where specialists use a familiar voice to gauge understanding with and without amplification if hearing loss is discovered.

"It helps us determine how they communicate in the real world," Gross said. "We don't live in a world filled with different frequency tones. We have to go deeper to test communication ability, word understanding and functionality in a challenging, noisy world."

Are you ready to take that next step and get your hearing tested? The licensed hearing professionals at Shea Hearing Aid Center in Memphis and Nashville can offer a thorough array of tests, as well as advice and custom solutions to improve your quality of life.

Members of the editorial and news staff of the USA Today Network were not involved in the creation of this content.